[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3133 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3133

To provide for the construction, renovation, and improvement of medical 
                 school facilities, and other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 17, 2010

 Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Specter) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the construction, renovation, and improvement of medical 
                 school facilities, and other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medical School Construction Grant 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Construction employment declined by 53,000 in December 
        2009, and has fallen by 1,600,000 since the economic downturn 
        began, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
            (2) By 2020, the United States will face a shortage of 
        about 85,000 physicians, due in part to the aging population, 
        according to the Council on Graduate Medical Education.
            (3) The American Academy of Family Physicians recommended 
        in 2006 that, to meet the need of primary care physicians in 
        2020, the United States would need to train 3,725 family 
        physicians and 714 osteopathic physicians annually, with an 
        overall goal of a 39 percent increase in family physicians.
            (4) The Association of American Medical Colleges has called 
        for increased enrollment at Liaison Committee on Medical 
        Education accredited schools from 15 to 30 percent over the 
        2002 levels by 2015. This increase would boost the number of 
        graduates to about 20,000.
            (5) The Federal Government has not supported significant 
        construction of medical schools since the 1960s and 1970s.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Medical school.--The term ``medical school'' means any 
        4-year allopathic or osteopathic medical school.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.

SEC. 4. GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program to award 
grants to eligible medical schools for the purpose of constructing, 
renovating, or improving medical school facilities to increase the 
supply of physicians.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), a medical school shall--
            (1) be accredited by the Association of American Medical 
        Colleges;
            (2) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
        may require; and
            (3) provide assurances that the medical school will ensure 
        accountability and transparency in expending grant funds.
    (c) Use of Funds.--An entity shall use amounts received under a 
grant under subsection (a) to construct new medical school facilities 
or renovate or improve existing medical school facilities to increase 
the supply of physicians.
    (d) Allocation.--The Secretary shall allocate amounts appropriated 
to carry out this section among medical schools based on the following:
            (1) First priority in awarding grants shall be given to new 
        medical schools that are accredited to admit students beginning 
        with academic years 2009 through 2014.
            (2) Priority in awarding grants shall be given to medical 
        schools that seek to establish a new branch of an existing 
        school.
            (3) Priority in awarding grants shall be given to medical 
        schools that serve one or more medically underserved 
        populations designated under section 330(b) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$500,000,000 for fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
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